Exhibition device.



A. WAYRICH.

EXHIBITION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-5.1914.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

11/ III! I II II/ I Ill/ll IIIIIIllllllllllllllllllll III/III I III Ill/1 IlI/lI/I/ WWM UNITED s ALEXANDER WAYRIGH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF. NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

EXHIBITION DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER WAYRICH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Brooklyn borough, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Exhibition Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to display apparatus adapted to present a panoramic series or succession of scenes, views, mechanical devices, machines for advertising purposes, etc.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 795,891, disclosing illusionary apparatus by means of which each of several living scenes or acts is caused to gradually fade away as the succeeding act is brought to view, the two acts appear contemporaneously and apparently in the same place during a period of the transition, one view dissolvingjinto the other.

An object of this invention is to provide a compact arrangement of compartments containing merely objects to be displayed, whereby the apparatus can be placed in a store window or other display place, particularly in situations where room is limited. To further subserve this object, the invention provides means whereby a number of objects of a series to be displayed, may .be permanently located in one compartment and brought singly into View in alternation with other devices of the series in a second compartment.

The cabinet or other closure, to contain the articles or the like to be displayed, may be divided into a front and rear compartment by a vertical partition, and the front compartment further divided by a horizontal partition into an upper dark chamber and a lower display section or compartment. Said dark chamber may be provided with an opening or window in front and a win- Specification of Letters Patent.

dow in the vertical partition, through which windows the spectator may view the apparatus, etc., placed on display in the rear compartment. Such apparatus is seen through a plate glass in the dark chamber, said glass extending in an inclined direction across the dark chamber between the windows. The rear display compartment is lighted by a series of hidden electric lights which illuminate the apparatus on display in said compartment. v

The lower front compartment .also con- Patented Mar. 6, 1917-.

Application filed February 5, 1914. Serial No. 816,695.

tains apparatus or the like, adapted to be brought into view when lighted by a series of hidden lamps within the compartment, the reflection of said apparatus being seen in the plate glass which acts as a mirror, so that said apparatus appears to the spectator to be in the rear compartment. The latter compartment alone is first lighted todisplay the apparatus therein. The lights of the rear compartment are then gradually dimmed and the lower front compartment at the same time, gradually illuminated so "that the apparatus therein comes into view in place of that inthe rear compartment..-

During this period of transition, the objects in both compartments may be seen apparently in the same position, one gradually merging into the other.

Either or both compartments may contain a plurality of devices adapted to be brought singly and successively into position to be seen by the spectator. Said devices may be mounted on a rotatable carrier so that after one device thereon, has been displayed and darkened, and while a device in the other compartment is illuminated, said carrier may be rotated to bring another device thereon into position for display, and when in said position, the compartment may again be gradually illuminated, and the lights in the other compartment at the same time, gradually dimmed. In this way the scene changes to display first, an object in one compartment, and then an object in the'second compartment, and then a third ob ect in the first compartment, etc., said objects all appearing to be in the same position.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is. a sectional elevation View of an apparatus adapted to'illustrate the development of the typewriter art.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the electrio-lighting circuits and apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation view of the apparatus displayed in a store window.

The cabinet or closure 1 adapted to contain the articles, machinery, apparatus, or

other devices to be displayed, is divided by' 5, which is kept comparatively dark and may be termed the dark room, is provided with a front opening or window 7 through which projects a frame or casing 8 forming a passage-way .of considerable depth, said casing having a flared front 9 connected to a vertical wall 10, forming the back of an ornamental front framework 11. The par: tition 2 is provided with a window 12 in line with the window 7 and preferably, substantially the same size and shape as the window 7. Within the chamber 3 is a series of electric lamps 13 surrounding or partially surrounding the window 12 for illuminating the display articles in the chamber 3; said lamps being hidden from the view of the spectators by a shield 14 of opaque material.

The apparatus herein shown is designed to illustrate the development of the typewriter art in three successive views or scenes, the first representing the method of writing, prior to the advent of the typewriting machine. For this purpose, a quill pen 15 appears in an ink-well 16 on a writing-desk 17, this apparatus illuminated by the lam s 13 and seen by the spectators through the windows 7 and 12. A plate glass 18 extends diagonally from the upper to the lower wall of the dark room 5 between the windows 7 and 12, but is'invisible to the spectators.

Located in the dark room 5 and surrounding the window 12 is a frame 19 containing a bank of lamps 20 which illuminate with a subdued light the front plate or wall 21 of said frame 19, said front plate being formed of ground glass or other translucent material. The walls 22 and 23 of the frame 19 are preferably opaque.

In the front display chamber 6 is located a typewriting machine 24,secured to a vertical wallor support 25 in such position that when a bank of lamps 26 are lighted, to illuminate the chamber 6, the machine 24 will be reflected in the plateglass 18 which forms a mirror, so that the machine 24 will appear to the spectator to be in the rear compartment 3 and standing in a normal horizontal position. The window 27 through which the machine 24 is viewed is preferably, substantially the same size as the window 12, and when seen reflected in the mirror appears to be in the same position as the window 12. .The lamps 26 are hidden from the view .of thespectator by the opaque walls of the frame 28, containing said lamps.

To present the first view to the spectators, who are positioned in front of the frame 11, the lamps 13 and 20 are lighted while the lamps 26 in the compartment 6 remain dark. The apparatus comprising the quill-pen, etc., are thus brilliantly lighted and seen through the glass 18, the latter being invisible. The lights 13 are now gradclearly into view, the first apparatus disappears entirely. During this transition period the apparatus in both compartments are seen more or less distinctly, and at the same time apparently occupying the same position.

It will be noted that the frame 19 is permanently lighted, and as it remains stationary and appears to the spectator as a frame surrounding the apparatus seen in the chamber 6 as well as that in the chamber 3, it aids in making the illusion more complete. The illuminated frame 19 further serves as a blinder to assist in preventing the spectators from seeing anything in either of the display compartments, except when the latter are illuminated.

The tvpewriting machine 24 illustrates an old style, blind machine in which the types strike upward against the'under side of the platen 24 the writing being invisible except when the carriage 24 is lifted. Such machines were in vogue in the early days of the typewriter art.

When the compartment 6 is fully lighted and the compartment 3 darkened, a frame 29 to which the desk 17 and writing utensils thereon are secured, may be rotated with or about a shaft 30 on which said frame is mounted, to carry said utensils below the window 12 and bring into'position for display a typewriting machine 31 secured to the opposite side of the frame 29. The lights 26 in the chamber 6 are now gradually dimmed, and the lamps 13 gradually lighted so as to bring into View the up-todate typewriting machine 31 which appears to take the place of the antiquated machine 24, as the latter gradually disappears from view. A weight 32 may be secured to the frame 29 opposite the machine 31 to counbank of lamps 20 which 13 for illuminating the compartment 3 is connected in circuit with a rheostat or dimmer 39 by means of which the lamps may be gradually lighted and brought up to full candle power or gradually dimmed and finally cut out of circuit. The circuit for the lamps 13 may be traced from the positive main 36 through one blade of the switch 40, through the conductor 41, lamps 13, conductor 42, resistance 39 of the rheostat, arm 39 of the rheostat, conductor it?) and switch 40, to the negative main 37. The bank of lamps 26 for illuminating the chamber 6 are in series with a rheostat or dimmer 44 and may be connected through a'switch 45 to the mains.

In changing the scene from the chamber 3 to the chamber 6, both rheostat arms are moved at the same time, from left to right. The resistance 39 is thus gradually introduced into the circuit of the lamps 13 to dim them down' and the resistance in the rheostat ll is, at the same time, gradually cut out of the circuit for the lamps 26, so that the latter are gradually lighted. To again change the scene to the compartment S-this operation is reversed. A set of lamps- 45 may be employed to illuminate the ornamental front or framework 11, and for this purpose, the lamps 45 may 'be placed in inclosed portions 46 of the framework, and the front 47 may be either translucent or transparent. Such lamps tend to complete the illusion by making the articles displayed appear by contrast in a much darker space. Ornamental curtains or drapery 48 maybe supported in the framework 11 and surround the casing 8. i The apparatus as described is'well adapted to be' placed in a store window for advertising purposes. As shown in Fig. 3, it is placed behind the plate glass 49 of a store window 50. The location of the I chamber 6'below the dark chamber, eflects a material economy of space.

It will be understood that the typewriting machines and other display apparatus herein shown are merely illustrative of one of the numerous lines of apparatus, ma.- chinery, articles of manufacture, views, etc., which might be displayed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and, portions of the lmprovemcnts may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I-

claim:

1. In a display apparatus to be viewed from a distance, the combination with a compartment comprising a .window through which the articles in said compartment may ond compartment to appear to be. in the first-named. compartment, means for alternately illuminating each of said compartments and dimming the other, and means for providing illumination in front of the window.

2. In a display apparatus, the combination of a transparent reflector, a compartment behind said reflector, a plurality of devices in said compartment-to be displayed, 7

means for moving said devices successively into position to be vlewed through said reflector, an additional device in position to be reflected from saidreflector so as to appear fromthe viewpoint to be in the display position of the first-named devices, means for lighting articles at both display positions, means to gradually increase the light forone position and reduce the llght for the other, and means for illuminating the space behind the reflector and in front of said compartment.

3. In a display apparatus, the combination with a plurality of display compartments, of a plurality of articles to be displayed in one compartment, means in said compartment to move one of said display articles out of display position and move another into display position, a transparentreflector positioned to permit an article in one compartment to be reflected therein, and

to permit an article in the other compartment to be seen therethrough, said articles appearing to the spectator to be substantially in the same position, illuminating means for said compartments comprising apparatus for gradually lighting one compartment and simultaneously reducing the light in the other compartment, and means for illuminating the space behind the; reflector in front of'the compartment behind said reflector.

4. In a display apparatus, the combination of a rotary supporting device adapted play position, lighting apparatus for alterposition as th preceding v nately lighting articles in said display positions, and a transparent mirror in position to reflect the light from the articles in one of said display positions and cause it to appear to th spectator to be in the other display position. I

6. In a display apparatus, the combination with a compartment having a window therein, of a support, said support rotatable about a horizontal axis, devices mounted on said support and brought alternately, bv the rotation of said support, into position to be viewed through said window, a second 4 compartment having a window therein, a

transparent, mirror positioned to permit articles in one compartment to be seen rcfi'ected therein, and articles in the other compartment to be seen therethrough, and means for alternately lighting said compartments.

7. In a display apparatus, the combination of a display compartment, a frame therein mounted to have a limited turn about a horizontal axis, to bring articles mountedon either side of said frame into display position, a second display compart ment arranged at a right angle to the first compartment, a transparent screen extending diagonally between said compartments, means for lighting up objects in either compartment, means for making said lighting.

- articles at right angles to the horizontal position of the articles in the first chamber, and a transparent reflecting plate mounted at an angle of forty-five degrees to each of said positions, means for illuminating or dimming articles in either of said chambers, the position of the articles in the second chamber being such that the article when reflected appears to occupy the position of an article when projected from the first mentioned chamber, a partition in front of the mirror, a window for observation through the partition, and controllable means for illuminating the front to complete the illusion produced by the illumination of the object in the first and second chambers.

9. The combination of a display compartment having a window therein through which the articles may be displayed, a rotary support mounted in said compartment for rotation into a plurality of display positions to bring display articles successively into position to be viewed through said window, and a second compartment having a window through which display articles may be viewed, lighting means for alternately lighting said compartments, and means for causing the articles in both compartments to appear to the spectator to be in substantially the same position.

10. In a display apparatus, the combination of a closure comprising a vertical partition dividing it into front and rear compartments, and a horizontal partition dividing the front compartment into 'an upper chamber and a lower. compartment, windows in said partitions, a diagonal transparent mirror in said upper chamber between said windows, means for alternately lighting said rear compartment and said lower compartment, a front window in said chamber through which light from said compartments may be transmitted, and means for illuminating the border of the window behind said mirror, the windows being placed symmetrically with respect to said screen, whereby the illuminated border of the rear window may be seen in border relation to the lower window when the'lower chamber is lighted and the upper dark.

11. In a display apparatus for use in store windows, the combination of a closure of a size to be placed behind a window, and comprising display compartments and a dark chamber, of a front window in said dark chamber, windows connecting said chamber with said display compartments, means for alternately lighting said compart: ments, a transparentreflectorin said dark chamber in position to transmit light from articles in one display compartment and reflect light from articles in the other display compartment so that said articles all appear to a spectator in front of-the store window to be in subsantially the same position, means for illuminating the border of one of said chamber windows, said windows being symmetrically placed with reference to the screen, whereby they may appear in superposed position, and means for illuminating the border of the front of the inelosure.

'12. In a displa apparatus, a cabinet having vertical and liorizontal partitions dividing it into a darkened chamber and display compartments located respectively behind and beneath said chamber, windows in said partitions, a transparent mirror extending diagonally across the darkened chamber in position to transmit light from the rear display compartment and reflect light from the lower display compartment through a front opening or window in'said chamber, an article placed on end in the compartment beneath said chamber, articles placed horizontally in the compartment behind said chamber, and a pivotal supportfor said lastnamed articles adapted to hold one in line with its window and the other below said window and behind said other compartment.

13. In a display apparatus, the combination of a cabinet comprising a darkened chamber and display compartments, means in one compartment for successively bringing into display position a number of ar ticles ordevices to be displayed, a transparent mirror in said darkened chamber positioned to transmit light from the articles in one compartment and reflect light from the articles in the other compartment to a common viewpoint, and means for partly illuminating said darkened chamber when an article is viewed by light transmitted through said mirror.

14. In a display apparatus, the combination with a front and means for illuminating said front, a chamber behind said front, a transparent mirror arranged in said chamber, two chambers arranged at right angles to each other in open communication with said transparent mirror in such a way that the transparent mirror is arranged at an angle of forty-five degrees between them, means for illuminating objects in the interior of each of said last mentioned chambers, a pivotally mounted support in one of said chambers, objects on said support adapted when said support is turned to occupy substantially identical position, and objects mounted in the second of last said chambers adapted to be seen by light reflected from said transparent screen and when so reflected to appear to occupy the position of the articles on the rotating support in the other screen, the light reflected from the rotating support passing directly through said transparent mirror.

15. In a display apparatus, the combination with a front and means for illuminating it, of a chamber behind said front, means for intermittently illuminating it, a compartment back of said chamber, pivotally mounted objects in said compartment adapted to be viewed alternately as swung on their common pivots, concealed means for intermittently illuminating said objects so that they ar viewed by light reflected from their surfaces, a second compartment, a transparent mirror in said chamber through which said objects can be seen, an object in said second compartment adapted to be viewed by reflection from said mirror, and concealed means for lighting said second compartment.

16. In a display apparatus, the combination with a front and means for illuminating it, of a chamber behind said front, means for intermittently illuminating it, a compartment back of said chamber, pivotally mounted objects in said compartment adapted to be viewed alternately as swung on their common pivots, concealed means for intermittently illuminating said objects so that they are viewed by light reflected from their surfaces, a second compartment beneath said chamber and in front of said first compartment, a transparent mirror in said chamber through which said objects can be seen, an object in said second compartment adapted to be viewed by reflection from said mirror, and concealed meansfor lighting said second compartment.

- 17. Illusion apparatus comprising a cabinet having a front opening, a front chamber containing an inclined plate adapted to reflect and transmit light rays, a chamber to the rear of said plate for containing an object visible at the said cabinet opening through said plate, a chamber opposite the face 'of said plate for containing an object that is reflected by the plate to be visible at the front opening, lighting means whereby said two object chambers can be alternately illuminated, and means adapted to constantly illuminate the walls of said front chamber.

18. In a display apparatus, the combination with a dark chamber, a display compartment behind said chamber, a second display compartment arranged laterally with reference to said chamber, a bordered opening from said chamber to each compartment, an inclined transparent mirror in said chamber between said openings, means for lighting both of said compartments at will and means for continuously illuminating the border of the opening behind the mirror the two openings being so arranged that they are substantially equidistant from the mirror,wher eby thevtransmitted light from the illuminated'border may be seen superposed in border relation to the reflected light from the other opening.

ALEXANDER WAYRICH.

Witnesses:

F. E. ALEXANDER, LORENZ L. PRITZL. 

